PBR Australia News

Back to All News

World Cup Stars Head Aussie PBR Line Up

05/26/2010

 2010 PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS WORLD CHALLENGE SERIES
BRISBANE, SATURDAY, MAY 29
SYDNEY, SATURDAY, JUNE 5

World Cup Stars Head Aussie PBR Line Up For Brisbane & Sydney

Five of Australia’s Professional Bull Riders World Cup Team are included in the ten-man Aussie contingent for the 2010 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Challenge at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre this Saturday night and the 2010 PBR World Challenge Final at Sydney’s Acer Arena on Saturday, June 5.

Led by in-form PBR Australia champion David Kennedy, the squad also includes our nation’s highest profile US-based rider Brendon Clark, two of the famed Farley brothers (Jared and Pete), and the highly animated Ben Jones, all of whom wore the green and gold at the recent PBR World Cup in Las Vegas.

Both Kennedy and Jones travel to Brisbane in blistering form, having finished first and third respectively on the first leg of the 2010 PBR World Challenge Series, the 2010 PBR Troy Dunn International, held in Townsville over the past weekend.

Twenty-five-year-old Kennedy, from Kyogle in northern New South Wales, dominated three of his four bulls in Townsville, demonstrating the fluent riding style that captured him the 2009 PBR Australia title. Currently ranked thirty-fifth on the PBR World Qualifier Standings, Kennedy is well on his way to his second consecutive PBR World Finals in Las Vegas if he can maintain this momentum.

Veteran rider Ben Jones broke out three of his customary celebration dances in Townsville on his way to third place at the 2010 PBR Troy Dunn International. A born entertainer, Jones wears his heart on his sleeve and is guaranteed to have the Brisbane and Sydney crowds on their feet if he manages to go the eight second journey during the next two weekends.

Another young Aussie hitting his straps at the right time is Uralla’s Chris Lowe. The twenty-five-year-old from the New England high country took the Saturday night honours in Townsville with a pair of spectacular rides and is pumped at the prospect of tackling Australia’s finest bucking livestock in the capital cities.

Other riders to make the cut for the remainder of the series are Queenslanders Jim Rowsell, Matt Postle and Jock Connolly and NSW teenager Troy Wilkinson.

The hottest bull riding tickets an action sports fan could wish for, the 2010 PBR World Challenge and World Challenge Final pit these ten top Aussies against a selection of the world’s finest professional bull riders from the United States’ elite Built Ford Tough Series. Each night all riders contest two long rounds, with the top ten aggregate scores progressing to the championship round. The event champion will be the rider with the highest aggregate at the conclusion of the championship round.

The series champion will also be announced in Sydney, with the result calculated on the highest aggregate score across the three events of the 2010 PBR World Challenge Series.

With a pen of the rankest bulls Australia can muster standing between these cowboys and a slice of the $100,000 prize money, the stage is set for some of the hottest extreme sport Australia has ever seen.

THE AUSTRALIAN CONTENDERS

David Kennedy (25, Kyogle, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 1)
Twenty-five-year-old David Kennedy has been around bull riding for most of his life but the 2009 PBR Mega Month was without doubt his watershed period in the PBR. Riding ten bulls from twelve attempts during four events, Kennedy catapulted himself from nowhere to third place on the PBR Australia standings and went on to win the 2009 PBR Australia national title. In 2010 Kennedy won two PBR Australia Challenger Series events before receiving the call up to the PBR Built Ford Tough Series and representing Australia in the 2010 PBR World Cup in Las Vegas.
 

Jared Farley (24, Kempsey, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 2)
A member of the Farley brothers trio of bull riders (older brother Denny also rides on the PBR Australia Challenger Series) Jared returned in November last year from a lengthy lay-off, with immediately strong results at the PBR Australia National Finals. Jared represented Australia in the 2007 and 2010 PBR World Cups and is a five-time PBR World Finalist.
 

Ben Jones (31, Goulburn, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 3)
31-year-old Ben Jones last year made his second PBR World Finals, 11 years after his previous appearance! The 2007 PBR Australia Champion represented Australia in the 2007, 2008 and 2010 PBR World Cups and is currently Australia’s highest placed rider on the PBR Built Ford Tough Series at number 26. Riding high on career-best form, Jones is sure to set Aussie arenas alight with his famous chicken dance when he makes the 8-second journey during this PBR World Challenge Series.
 

Brendon Clark (29, Morpeth, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 4)
Australia’s most experienced US-based bull rider, Brendon Clark suffered serious internal injuries early last year and, as a result, just missed the cut for the PBR World Finals. Clark is currently ranked 47th on the Built Ford Tough Series, is a six times World Finals Qualifier, has represented Australia in three PBR World Cups and has accumulated more than US$750,000 in career earnings.
 

Chris Lowe (25, Uralla, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 5)
Ranked by his peers as a truly gifted bull rider, Chris Lowe is yet to unleash his full potential in the PBR, despite a handful of podium finishes in the past six months. Watch for Lowe to bring home some big scores on the top quality bulls he will encounter during this PBR World Challenge Series.
 

Pete Farley (21, Kempsey, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 6)
21-year-old Pete Farley is the 2008 PBR Australia champion and currently sits at number 50 on the Built Ford Tough Series tour. Pete has represented Australia at the past three PBR World Cups and in 2009 made his first ever PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.
 

Jim Rowsell (23, Goondiwindi, Qld. Australian Qualifier Standings: 7)
One of PBR Australia’s great young characters, Jim Rowsell is quick with a joke but deadly serious when he climbs on the back of a one ton beast. Having had a strong start to the 2010 Rowsell is keen to use the PBR World Challenge Series to cement his position in the standings for a genuine shot at the 2010 PBR Australia title.


Matt Postle (25, Mundubbera, Qld, Australian Qualifier Standings: 10)
A consistent performer on the PBR Australia circuit since its inception in 2007, Matt Postle has always been close to the top of the points table. Postle cemented his place amongst the ten contenders with a strong fifth place in the 2010 PBR Troy Dunn International in Townsville. A natural big game player, look for Matt to ride the tough bulls when the pressure is on.


Kevin “Jock” Connolly (33, Charters Towers, Qld, Australian Qualifier Standings: 12)
At 33-years-of-age most bull riders would be thinking about winding down…not Jock Connolly. The tough-as-teak Charters Towers cowboy has fought back from a broken neck he sustained early last year and is looking to recapture the form that took him within one ride of claiming the 2008 PBR Australia title. Two determined rides last Friday night saw Connolly leap from 24 to 12 on the Australian Qualifier Standings and book his ticket to Brisbane and Sydney.

Troy Wilkinson (19, Upper Horton, NSW, Australian Qualifier Standings: 13)
The top of the locals yet to taste the exhilaration of the PBR Built Ford Tough tour in the US, young Troy Wilkinson is a rider to watch during this PBR World Challenge Series. Throughout 2009 and 2010 Wilkinson has notched up a swag of top ten finishes and proven to be one of the most consistent riders on the Aussie circuit.

THE INTERNATIONAL CONTINGENT

Rocky McDonald (30, Col. Juarez, Mexico, BFTS ranking 39)
Rocky McDonald hit career best form in the second half of 2009, starting with his wins at the 2009 PBR Troy Dunn International and the 2009 PBR Brendon Clark Invitational in Newcastle. McDonald then returned to Australia in November to win the 2009 PBR Australia Finals in Tamworth.  One of the sport’s most colourful characters, McDonald has fought several serious injuries (including the loss of a thumb in a farm accident) to notch up nine years of pro riding. 

Luke Snyder (27, Missouri, USA, BFTS Ranking 27)
“Cool Hand” Luke Snyder is a 27 year old from Raymore, Missouri. Currently ranked 27th in the world, Snyder is a true bull riding ironman, holding the record for most consecutive events attended in a PBR career.  Snyder started riding at nine, turned professional in 2001, took out the PBR World Finals in his rookie year and in 2009 became the eighteenth PBR millionaire. All that and he is still only 27. Last month in Canada Snyder sustained a serious neck injury and hasn’t ridden since but is determined to make a successful comeback here in Australia.

Zack Brown (31, Texas, USA, BFTS Ranking 56)
The 2004 PBR Rookie of the Year, Zack Brown earned more than $300,000 in his rookie season but has been plagued by injuries ever since. Raised both in California and Hawaii, a keen surfer and fisherman, Brown rode his first bull at the incredibly late age of 22. To date the 31-year-old has retired and come back twice, accumulated more than $800,000 in career prize money and quietly gone about his business, finishing #8 in the 2009 end of year rankings. Despite a slow start in 2010 Brown is a rider to watch here in Australia.

Skeeter Kingsolver (20, Kansas, USA, BFTS Ranking 12)
At just 20 years of age and in his second year in the PBR, Skeeter Kingsolver has more than $150,000 in PBR career earnings in the bank already. This young man from McLouth, Kansas battled all last year for the Daisy Rookie Of The Year title with Australia’s Pete Farley and American Cody Nance. He rode in the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas to cap an amazing first year on tour. Dubbed ‘The Royal Solution’ by PBR announcer Justin McKee, Kingsolver is a rider of immense talent who is keen to prove his skills to the fans down under.

McKennon Wimberly (21, Texas, USA, BFTS Ranking 13)
This 21 year-old professional bull rider and amateur boxer has already amassed more than $300,000 in prize money, been to three PBR World Finals and this year was chosen to represent the United States in the PBR World Cup against Australia, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. Wimberly rode in Australia in 2008 as a nineteen-year-old but has really mastered the art of riding top-flight bulls in the past twelve months and makes his second trip down under at the absolute peak of his game. A genuine contender to take home the winner’s cheque in Oz.

Ned Cross (25, Oregon, USA, BFTS Ranking 18)
This 25-year-old from Midland, Oregon ranks PBR Australia President Troy Dunn as his ultimate bull-riding idol. “I always looked up to Troy Dunn because he’s so gritty,” Cross explained. “He’s definitely one of the greatest bull riders ever.” With almost $300,000 in PBR career earnings Cross is no slouch on the bovines but has a long way to go to match the record of his mentor. Never-the-less Ned Cross is having the best season of his career, with his BFTS ranking sitting at 18 and more than $93,000 earned so far this year.

Harve Stewart (22, Texas, USA, BFTS Ranking 47)
By bull riding standards Harve Stewart was a late starter, not trying the sport until age 14. However, he quickly made up for lost time with coaching from nine times world champion Ty Murray. Throughout his teens Stewart made a name for himself winning the bull riding title at the Texas High School Rodeo Association Finals and earning a college scholarship at Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas. A wrist injury sustained at last year’s PBR Troy Dunn International cut short Stewart’s first trip to Australia but the Texan is hell-bent on proving his credentials to Aussie fans this time around.

Caleb Sanderson (21, Florida, USA, BFTS Ranking 26)
It’s true there are not many professional bull riders from Florida, but the handful of PBR cowboys to have emerged from the east coast tourist mecca have been gems. Twenty-one-year-old Caleb Sanderson is the latest and has what it takes to be one of the greatest. 2009 was a break through season for the young man, earning $110,000 in prize money and making his first PBR World Finals.

Cody Campbell (22, Oregon, USA, BFTS Ranking 29)
Oregon native Cody Campbell is in his fifth year with the PBR and each subsequent year has been more prosperous than the one before. Last year Campbell made his first trip to Vegas for the PBR World Finals and he has continued his fine form into 2010. A student of PBR legend Mike White, Campbell comes from a rodeo family and he rode his first bull at age 13.

Chance Roberts (19, Illinois, USA, BFTS Ranking 39)
At nineteen-years-of-age Chance Roberts is the youngest of the 2010 youth brigade. In only his second year with the PBR, Roberts has had a solid start to the season, working his way into the top 40 and displaying the kind of form that should carry him through to his first PBR World Finals.

2010 PBR WORLD CHALLENGE
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tickets from Ticketek on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au
Tickets: Diamond $124.90, Platinum $80, Gold $60, Silver $40, Silver Child $20

2010 PBR WORLD CHALLENGE FINAL
Acer Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Tickets from Ticketek on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au
Tickets: Diamond $124.90, Platinum $80, Gold $60, Silver $40, Silver Child $20